UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has hailed the newly adopted institutional reform measures of the African Union (AU), his spokesman said late Thursday night.

African leaders stand together the 11th extraordinary Summit of the African Union at the AU building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 17, 2018. (Photo: VCG)

The decisions of the heads of state and government of AU members at an extraordinary summit in Addis Ababa on Nov. 17-18 send a strong message of the commitment of its membership to underpin the work of the AU with accountable and effective leadership, said Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, in a statement.

The decisions were made on the new structure of the AU Commission and on the selection of its senior leadership, according to the statement.

Guterres also welcomed the further operationalization of the African Union Peace Fund and the appointment of its Board of Trustees to facilitate flexible, predictable and sustainable financing of the AU peace and security activities, said the statement.

Guterres reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to support the AU Commission in those efforts, said the statement.